Why The Indiana Pacers Do The Deal

Unlike the Toronto Raptors, the Indiana Pacers are far from contention. That makes them as good a candidate as any to afford OG Anunoby some leeway to explore his game.

In fact, the Pacers could use some secondary ball-handling behind Tyrese Haliburton. After all, they just traded Malcolm Brogdon, and Bennedict Mathurin may not be ready to shoulder his load as a rookie. If Anunoby does have some hidden layers in his game, the Pacers need them.

With that said, if he doesn’t, he’s still a great acquisition for this club. After all, Anunoby is only 24. His 3-and-D chops will be needed by the Pacers whether he’s a playmaker or not.

Furthermore, the Pacers may not orchestrate their rebuild as other teams do. This small-market club has generally avoided long-term rebuilding projects. Acquiring quality young players in an effort to get back to fielding a competitive group quickly may be their vision.

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In that case, Anunoby is a perfect target for them whether he’s a playmaker or not.